Tuesday, December 09, 2008

Our Yearly Christmas Letter

More or less, the final draft will probably go out this week-end, but I'm sharing it on-line now ;)

In the "can do" tradition of Texas, the Marsh family presents a “do it yourself” or “choose your own options” Christmas letter. Many of these options make for a better year than we had, or at least a stranger one, but don’t let that stop you when you make a pick

Heather:

(a) Decided engineering was a better major than neuroscience;(b) test drove a 30.06 at the rifle range;(c) Is getting a concealed weapons permit class for Christmas(d) Is now taller than her dad;(e) Is practicing walking in a long skirt and wearing her hair in tight braids as she prepares to move to West Texas;(f) Now works for KBYU;(g) Went horseback riding in Washington State.

Rachel:

(a) Wants to work in a think tank when she grows up;(b) Was baptized this year;(c) Started fourth grade;(d) Got a perfect score on the State Music Theory test;(e) Got a superior rating at the sonatina festival;(f) Begs daily for a cell phone;(g) Keeps asking for a rifle of her own.

Steve:

(a) Got a rifle for father’s day;(b) Had a presentation from his material made to the Shanghai People’s High Court at the University of Wisconsin and is cited in the C.F.R.s;(c) Was invited to join a group blog that drew comments;(d) Went to New York City to do a short appearance on Fox TV;(e) Had a Daddy/Daughter date at the rifle range;(f) Experienced his car bursting into flames after he was rear-ended;(g) Joined the (Jeff) Green Party.

Win:

(a) Completed five quilts this year;(b) Volunteers in the nursery at Church;(c) Has multiple firearms registered in her name;(d) Functions as a social director and transportation agent for Rachel, drawing the line at more than twelve activities a week;(e) Racked up twice the frequent flyer miles as the rest of the family;(f) Looks better in blue fox than mink;(g) Has worked hard to work less this year.

Vincent the polydactyl cat:

(a) Brought us a bat as a gift;(b) Delivered a baby rattlesnake to Steve;(c) Left a freshly killed mouse in Steve’s shoe;(d) Developed a catch and release program of live birds for the house;(e) Still forgets where his food bowl is;(f) Found his way home after Rachel took him for a tour of the neighborhood;(g) No longer thinks chicken is tuna.